i spent my weekend on a double michelin star farm in new york
apparently, i needed to touch grass (literally)
Hi friend,
I spent a weekend at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and if you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to disconnect while also eating really well, this is for you.
There’s a saying that the longer you work in tech, the more you just want to abandon the city and move to a farm with no wifi. And after over 3 years in the space (which honestly should be counted in dog years because of how fast the industry moves), I finally tested that theory.
I wanted to bring you along on a 1 hour explore tour for farming and culinary research, which is really just a history lesson of the grounds and a walk through the actual farm before you eat.
*Cue to the bite-size history lesson*
Picture this: stunning stone buildings that look like they belong in the French countryside, rolling green hills, and crisp, farm-fresh air. But what we see today didn't actually start out as a curated culinary hub.
It was clear that Stone Barns is way more than just beautiful land, it actually sits on what used to be a Rockefeller dairy farm in Pocantico Hills. David Rockefeller and his daughter Peggy Dulany founded Stone Barns in 2004 in honor of his late wife, Peggy Rockefeller, who was an agricultural conservationist. She also co-founded the American Farmland Trust, a non-profit organization with the goal to create healthy farming practices.
Their vision wasn't just for the aesthetics, they wanted a true working farm that operated through all four seasons, growing something different no matter the time of year, while doubling as a place where visitors could actually learn something real about where their food comes from.
To bring this dream to life, David and Peggy partnered with Dan Barber, who grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Massachusetts. Alongside his brother David and sister-in-law Laureen, they added to the property's historic farm charm and created a world-renowned restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, which now holds two Michelin stars. For context, that’s a huge honor in the culinary world, it’s basically their version of the Oscars.
While the Michelin stars are impressive, that almost just feels like a nice addition to the farm once you’re there. We got to walk out into the fields, and I had the chance to pick peas straight off the plant, which sounds like a small thing until you’re standing there doing it and realize you’ve never actually seen where a pea comes from.
After the fields, we headed over to my favorite room on the property: the bakery. We were introduced to a French baker who explained that Blue Hill redefines the bread-making process by stone-milling heritage grains on-site daily, treating wheat not as a pantry staple, but as a fresh, perishable vegetable. We were also able to try buckwheat seltzer (which sounds questionable, but was incredible). It was crafted by Rhizome, an innovation lab at Blue Hill that transforms soil-saving farm crops into sparkling botanical drinks.
After exploring the bakery, we ended the experience at the cafeteria with an amazing farm-fresh, school-lunch style plate full of a few different items: soil-grown experimental lettuces, bread with whipped butter & a green herb spread, thinly sliced meat and a cheesecake with strawberry compote.
The menu changes based on what the farm actually has that week which makes it way less “farm to table” as a marketing line and more an actual operating philosophy.
This was the first of many visits here and I’m glad I got to bring you along with me.
But beyond it just being a beautiful day, it left me thinking about the bigger concept of knowing where our food actually comes from. When you watch something grow, pick it yourself, then eat it an hour later, you understand it differently. Most of what we eat travels so far and goes through so much before it reaches us that we lose that connection completely.
I didn’t always think this way. My own journey started because my best friend brought me along, and it made all the difference. So, I’m happy to do the same for you :)
City life can be fun, but I hope this is a reminder that there's a whole other world close by. Sometimes just a short drive away.
The more you learn, the more it stays with you. And who knows, maybe one day you’ll have a farm named in your honor too <3
👏
I grew up on a farm with no wifi... but then again, no one had wifi at the time. It looks like you had a great time! Thanks for sharing the tour.